Beyond Burger Will Expand to Six Continents by Summer

Vegan brand Beyond Meat will expand the distribution of its popular plant-based patty to more than 50 countries.

This summer, California-based vegan brand Beyond Meat will expand to more than 50 countries across six continents. The brand’s Beyond Burger—which launched in 2016 in the meat department of one Whole Foods Market in Colorado—will soon be available worldwide in Europe, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Chile, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Korea, Taiwan, and South Africa, among others. “Reflecting rapid demand growth in the United States and sustained interest from international markets, we’ve taken steps to significantly increase our production capacity,” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said. The company is currently constructing a production facility in Los Angeles that will enable it to increase output seven-fold and develop a new product every year. “These additions make it possible for us to support international launches, building upon the successful 2017 introduction of the Beyond Burger in Hong Kong.” In April, the vegan brand announced a partnership with meat distributor PHW Group which will help get the Beyond Burger to retailers in Germany. According to Brown, in the five-week period preceding April 17, the Beyond Burger—which is currently available at more than 27,000 restaurants and grocery stores—outsold its animal-based competitors at one major southern California supermarket. “So we’re selling more than Angus beef, more than 80/20 beef, more than grass-fed beef, by unit,” Brown told Forbes. “My expectation about being in the meat case was to simply hold on and not get thrown out. I never thought in a million years that we’d rise this quickly to be the number-one seller in terms of patties in the meat case.”